Xia Xun woke up thirsty.
His throat was dry and sore, his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth, and even after swallowing lightly, his throat felt like it was going to catch fire.
He sat up with his eyes closed, wanted to find water to drink, casually touched the edge of the bed, and was firmly caught by a pair of weak and boneless hands.
He woke up immediately.
When she looked up, she happened to see Zhi Gui's face, her pupils were very light, a glowing amber color.
Before he could speak, Zhi Gui put a cup of warm tea into her hand.
After Xia Xun finished her drink in two or three sips, she continued.
After repeating this several times, Xia Xun drank a pot of tea in one go.
He drank too fast, water was all over his chin, he wiped it away with his sleeve, and felt a few strands of hair sticking to his face.
The hairpin that He Cong gave him disappeared at some point, and his hair was all loose, very unseemly.
He asked Zhi Gui:
"Where's my wooden hairpin?"
Zhigui glanced at the brazier hesitantly.
Xia Xun followed her gaze.
In the charcoal fire, a burnt wooden hairpin could be vaguely seen, and there was an unburned handkerchief beside it.
Zhigui told Xia Xun that those were all thrown in by Qi Yan.
Zhi Gui said that after he fainted, it was Qi Yan who carried him back.
The wound on Qi Yan's back continued to bleed, and wherever he went with Xia Xun in his arms, he left a trail of bloody footprints.
When Xia Xun was sleeping, the servants in the house took a long time to clean up the mess.
"Qi Hui invited all the doctors from the nearby medical center. At that time, you were sleeping on the bed and couldn't wake up. Several doctors were treating you while bandaging the adults. The room was full of blood. When you take off your clothes, you can wring them out and bleed—”
Seeing that Xia Xun was untouched, Zhi Gui did not continue.
Xia Xun sat on the bed for a while, only to realize that the sun on the skyline was not the rising sun, but the setting sun.
He lay there all day.
His head still hurts, and the wound on his neck is uncomfortable.
He watched the sunset for a while, and asked Zhi Gui:
"Is there anything to eat?"
The dinner was served soon, Xia Xun tore off the cloth strips that tied the bed curtain, tied her hair behind her head, and sat down at the table.
After seeing the dishes on the table, his appetite was gone.
"After only one night, is your Qi Mansion ruined? You can't even afford meat?"
The table was full of porridge and side dishes, without a trace of meat, and there was a bowl of dark soup next to it, which seemed to be his medicine.
The bitter taste from the soup almost melted into shape and hit him in the face.
Zhi Gui appeases:
"It's all done for you according to the doctor's instructions. The doctor said that you should eat light and not greasy. After the injury is healed, you can eat whatever you want."
Xia Xun frowned, picked up the clear rice porridge, pinched her nose and poured it down.
Colorless and tasteless white porridge is worse than bitter medicine.
Seeing that he was suffering from eating, Zhigui kept looking for words and said to him:
"I was really worried last night. I knew you were gone, and I heard them say that Yuzhu was dead. I thought... would you be overwhelmed for a while...? But I was terrified!"
Xia Xun put down the bowl:
"You don't blame me for fascinating you with drugs? You don't blame me for leaving without saying goodbye, causing you to be punished by Qi Yan?"
Zhi Gui paused:
"Actually... Your lord is not what you think. He is very serious, but he is not tyrannical at all. He never vents his anger on us servants, and even if he does something wrong, he will not beat or scold us."
Xia Xun picked up a dish with chopsticks and put it into her mouth.
Zhi Gui looked at his face and tentatively said:
"Just like... he did to your dog Yuzhu."
Xia Xun's hand stopped, but she didn't stop it.
Zhi Gui calmed down slightly, and continued:
"Yuzhu doesn't like adults, and adults don't want to see it. They have been raising it in other courtyards all these years, and told us not to let it out. But even so, adults asked Qi Hui to take care of it himself. He pretended to be someone else, and he fed it excellent food. Our servants all said that the Fushi dog only lived for five years, and Yuzhu lived for more than seven years, all because of proper care."
She paused and asked:
"Tell me, does your lord like Yuzhu or not?"
Xia Xun didn't know.
In the past, he thought that Qi Yan liked him, but later he found out that he was very wrong.
Now, he still couldn't figure out what Qi Yan was thinking.
He put down his chopsticks:
"Where is Yuzhu's body?"
Zhigui replied:
"As you ordered, my lord, bury your hairpin with it in its place."
Xia Xun nodded, picked up the medicine bowl, took a deep breath, and drank it down.
When Qi Yan walked in, the spicy bitter taste was still on the tip of his tongue.
Zhi Gui stepped back tactfully.
Qi Yan carried a jug of wine and walked up to Xia Xun.
His face was pale, there was no blood on his lips, and his eyes, which were originally sharp as blades, also looked dim tonight.
Thick bandages covered his upper body, and his movements were not as comfortable as before.
He held the table in front of Xia Xun, and placed the jug on the table. The pain in his wound made his movements laborious and stagnant.
Xia Xun held the medicine bowl and turned a blind eye to him.
Qi Yan didn't look at him, and didn't speak, the two just sat opposite each other in silence.
The sky is completely dark, the moonlight is gradually falling, and the rustling of the wind blowing through the treetops can be vaguely heard.
Qi Yan suddenly raised her hand and gently rubbed against Xia Xun's neck.
"Your injury... still hurts?"
The wound on Xia Xun's neck was wrapped with several rounds of bandages, and Qi Yan's touch was neither painful nor itchy.
But he still dodged sideways, as if Qi Yan had spikes on his fingertips.
His movements were too big, involving the wound, the pain made him breathless, and tears almost flowed out.
He gasped, clenched his fists, and waited for the pain to pass.
Qi Yan fixedly looked at Xia Xun.
Seeing him avoiding himself like a scourge, watching him resist the pain in embarrassment.
After a while, he silently raised his hand to wipe away the tears seeping from the corners of Xia Xun's eyes.
Xia Xun didn't have the strength to hide anymore.
Qi Yan let go:
"Today hasn't passed yet, it's still your birthday, do you have anything you want?"
Xia Xun did not hesitate:
"I want to go back to Lingnan, can you let me go?"
Qi Yan didn't answer, and pushed the jug in front of Xia Xun:
"I can't give you what you want... Just take this jug of wine as a gift."
Xia Xun shook her head:
"I don't drink, and I don't want this gift."
Qi Yan didn't seem to hear it, he ignored Xia Xun and said to himself:
"I brewed this pot of wine with my own hands in the year you died. At that time, I was ill. When I finally stood up, it was already the tenth day of your death. Your first seven days have already passed. I heard the rumor The person who received the news said that you have already been buried."
He fell into tormenting memories, and a gloomy pain appeared on his face.
"I don't know how to pay homage to you. Later, I made this pot of wine and buried it under the flowering tree that you often stepped on when you climbed over the wall. I always remember that you emerged from the flowering branches Come out, see me, not in a hurry to come down, hugging the branch and smiling at me.
"I'm always worried that you'll fall off, but you're very sensitive, and you haven't missed a single time. Even holding the jade beads, you can climb up and down nimbly."
He held the hand of the jug, until his fingertips turned white:
"I buried the wine jar under the tree and did not allow anyone to come near it. I told Qi Hui that when I die, I will sprinkle this wine jar in front of my grave. In this way, when I go underground, maybe I can see you." it's..."
He took two wine glasses and poured clear liquid from the flagon.
"Now, since you're back, it's useless to keep this wine. A glass of dirty wine, I know you don't like it, so just treat it as... drink with me."
Qi Yan poured himself and drank three cups in a row.
Xia Xun remained motionless.
Ever since he came in, Xia Xun's nostrils had been lingering with a faint salty smell.
He knew very well that it was the smell of blood.
It may come from her own wound, or from Qi Yan's.
None of them should risk open wounds by drinking alcohol at a time like this.
But…
Xia Xun suddenly picked up the wine glass and drank it dry in one gulp:
"I'm done drinking, you can go."
Xia Xun's alcohol capacity is actually very poor.
In Douzhou, in order to get rid of damp poison, local people will drink medicinal wine brewed from various insects and snakes.
There are few grains and underdeveloped products, and very few people make wine according to traditional techniques.
In the first few years, the two brothers had a very difficult life. They worked hard every day to make a living, working hard from the beginning to the end of the year, but they always saw no return and no money.
Xia Wen felt depressed, and always wanted to find some wine to relieve his worries. There was no wine made from grain, so he imitated the local Baiyue people and drank wine made from centipedes and ants.
Xia Xun also tried to drink a few sips.
He drinks a lot, and as long as he sips a little, his face will be flushed and his head will feel dizzy.
He didn't like the feeling, and he stopped drinking afterward.
Later, the life of the two brothers gradually became better. Xia Wen married a new wife, had a child of his own, and quit drinking.
Qi Yan said that Xia Xun looked down on the wine he brewed, and really looked up to him.
Xia Xun can't tell whether the wine is good or bad, no matter what kind of golden syrup and jade, he drinks it with the same hot throat.
He just drank a full glass, and it won't be long before his forehead will be red all the way to his neck.
He didn't want Qi Yan to see it, so he smashed the wine glass on the table, stood up and walked in.
Qi Yan held his hand, but he didn't look back:
"I'm done drinking, what else do you want to do?"
Qi Yan's hand was very cold, and the coolness extended from the wrist held by him upwards, and gradually spread to Xia Xun's heart.
Qi Yan tugged back, and Xia Xun fell onto his lap.
Before Xia Xun could react, Qi Yan pressed the back of his head and kissed his lips.
He still had wine in his mouth.
During the scorching kiss, Xia Xun unconsciously swallowed the wine.
The wine was very spicy, several times more spicy than the medicinal wine infused with poisonous insects, his throat and stomach were scalding hot.
Xia Xun violently pushed Qi Yan away, trying to stand up from his arms.
Qi Yan refused to let go, drank another glass of wine, and kissed him again with a wine-filled kiss.
Xia Xun was forced to drink the second cup.
While kissing him, Qi Yan fixed his hands behind him.
Xia Xun struggled hard.
Qi Yan then tore off his hairband and tied his hands tightly together.
Xia Xun's hair fell down.
His face was very red and hot, just like when Qi Yan kissed him for the first time.
His head was spinning, and he knew he was going to be drunk soon.